More than 800 Buddhist masters, officials and disciples greeted the return of the Buddha's sarira,or finger-bone relic left by Buddhism founder Sakyamuni on Saturday at Xi'an airport in the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province.

A brief religious ceremony was held Saturday afternoon at the Xianyang International Airport shortly after the landing of the special plane carrying the Buddha's relic, marking the end of 10

days of enshrinement in Hong Kong.

Celebrities attending a brief ceremony at the airport include Master Yi Cheng, president of Buddhist Association of China, Yang Tongxiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, Chairman of Hong Kong Buddhist Association Kok Kwong.

After the ceremony, the sacred Buddha's relic was escorted back to the Famen Temple and be preserved in a seven-layered casket made of gold and precious jewels.

One million visitors flocked to worship and pass offerings to the Buddha's finger relic when it was displayed in Hong Kong beginning May 26. The enshrinement ended on Friday and a grand send-off ceremony

was held in Hong Kong before the Buddha's sarira and 20 other relics returned home.

Source: Xinhua